3 days ago
Heydon: ‘We want to incorporate' women farmers in EU presidency
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has said he 'absolutely wants' to incorporate the issue of women in agriculture into Ireland's presidency of the Council of the EU.
The minister was speaking at a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine this week, his first meeting with the committee as the senior minister at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
In the second half of 2026, Ireland will hold the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, which means Minister Heydon, if he is still minister at that time, will chair the meetings of the EU's agriculture ministers.
Among the wide range of issues that came up at this week's committee meeting was women in agriculture, with Senator Victor Boyhan asking the minister if he will make the issue a priority during Ireland's EU council presidency.
Boyhan also pointed out that 2026 has been designated by the United Nations (UN) as the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Boyhan told the minister: 'The UN have designated 2026 – which is timely as you'll be [in] a critical role in all of this – as the international year of women farmers.
'There is a lead-in time, and a very significant lead-in time, and I want to use some of my time in this agricultural committee to really, really champion women in agriculture,' Boyhan added.
'I think it's really, really important that we support women in agriculture, that we have this UN designation in 2026, we also have the presidency [of the EU council] in 2026.
'I'd ask you to take away this request…that you would really place a high focus on that, and perhaps you might initiate some engagement later in the year back to this committee to see how can we build around stakeholder involvement; how can we put that to the fore of agriculture and our deliberations in the Oireachtas and this committee, because I think that is really important,' Boyhan said.
In response to Boyhan's comments, Minister Heydon said: 'That is something we absolutely want to incorporate into our presidency.'
According to the minister, the issue of women in farming is important globally, not just in Ireland or the EU; and that the EU has role in promoting that.
'There is an element that when you have the presidency of the EU, it's a huge honour, but it comes with it a responsibility, not just within the EU, but obviously then…outward facing.
'Women in agriculture is something that I promoted at events when I was on trade missions in Mexico previously, and different areas, but one area where it's really important is the area of Africa,' Minister Heydon said.
'Incorporating the women in agriculture role and linking it to food security in places like Africa is really important as well,' he added.
Turning back to Irish farming, the minister said: 'Women in agriculture also features in our programme for government, and there are key measures I would look to progress over my term in the Department of Agriculture to be able to enhance that role because I know how important it is.
'We have so many farms where women are the key drivers of the farm but their name may not appear on the blue card or on the herd number and therefore their role isn't as recognised, but it's absolutely integral.
'I'm happy to work with you and the committee members on any ideas you might have on that or other elements of our presidency [of the EU council],' Minister Heydon added.
Speaking to Agriland at Leinster House after his comments in the committee, Senator Boyhan, said: 'We have a vast array of interests on the committee, so I chose today to speak about women in agriculture because there was…an action plan arising from the National Dialogue on Women in Agriculture, so I particularly zoned in on that.
'I think to be effective in the agriculture committee given our limited time, we have to use that time wisely and I persuaded the minister to commit to [that], particularly next year because next year is the international year for women in agriculture, also we have the presidency, so I think it's important that we dovetail them, and I got that commitment from the minister,' Boyhan added.
